Tourist numbers in Portugal hit record in 2023 / Photo: Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA - AFP/File
-
Qatar Tourism joins Pacific Asia Travel Association at London travel market
-
Qatar media bodies discuss support for humanitarian initiatives
-
Vessel operator seeks witnesses after Vancouver grounding
-
Bezos grant helps Seattle nonprofit move thousands of families toward housing
-
Shrini Srivastava joins crew of Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper service
-
US stocks fall before midterm Election Day as technology shares weaken
-
Nearly Half of Australian Workers Overqualified, Survey Finds
-
BLS Polymers makes strong market debut at ₹248 per share
Tourist numbers in Portugal hit record in 2023
Foreign tourists flocked to Portugal in record numbers in 2023 with 26.5 million visitors -- a 19.2 percent jump compared to the year before, the country's National Statistics Institute said Monday.
Derided as part of the "Club Med" nations during the European debt crisis 15 years ago, Portugal's economy is now outperforming its northern peers thanks to a rebound in tourism.
Last year's tourism figures in Portugal saw an increase of 7.7 percent compared to 2019 -- the reference year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the institute, 5.7 million visitors were from Spain followed by Britain and France, with close to three million tourists each.
Tourism accounts for around 12 percent of gross domestic product in Portugal.
In 2023, Portugal recorded 2.3 percent economic growth, among the highest in the European Union, mainly thanks to exports.
Growth this year is expected to be 1.5 percent, rising to 1.9 percent in 2025, according to the latest forecasts published in mid-April by the government.
The Bank of Portugal is forecasting growth of 2 percent this year and 2.3 percent in 2025.
H.Meyer--CPN